Also you should be able to say or write the Greek word when given the English word.

You should also be able to decline each word.

Do not worry about learning rules for the accent.

When you pronounce the Greek word, emphasize the syllable containing the accent (whether the accent is acute, grave, or circumflex), e.g.,

ἄνθρωπος [AN-throw-pos]

ἀνθρώπου [an-THROW-poo]

Students have found a variety of ways to learn the vocabulary.

Some put them on a master sheet, cover over one side, and attempt to supply the required meaning.

The problem here is that you tend to memorize the order in which they appear more than the words themselves.

In order to create a measure of randomness, others have put the words on a computer.

The problem with this approach is that most computers are not portable. You have to study your vocabulary where your computer is.

The easiest way is to put the words on cards which are joined by a metal ring.

In this way, you can flip through the cards (testing yourself) during any spare moment (waiting in the dinner line, waiting for your date, listening to a boring lecture, watching the hockey game, etc.).

Some nouns in English (like love) have the same form as verbs; but in Greek, they may have the same stem, but the suffixes (endings) attached to these words will generally be different.

Greek nouns have been classified into three major categories or declensions

The first declension nouns generally use -α or -η in the endings.

The second declension nouns generally use -ο in the endings.

The third declension nouns are somewhat irregular in their endings.

In this lesson, we will examine the second declension nouns.

Nouns in the NOM case which end in -ος are usually masculine.

There are only a few exceptions.

Nouns in the NOM case which end in -ον are neuter (there are no exceptions).

Note the declension of the following words:

ποταμός = river

Case

Singular

Plural

NOM

ποταμός

ποταμοί

GEN

ποταμοῦ

ποταμῶν

DAT

ποταμῷ

ποταμοῖς

ACC

ποταμόν

ποταμούς

VOC

ποταμέ

ποταμοί

νόμος = law

Case

Singular

Plural

NOM

νόμος

νόμοι

GEN

νόμου

νόμων

DAT

νόμῳ

νόμοις

ACC

νόμον

νόμους

VOC

νόμε

νόμοι

Uses of the cases

NOM case (Nominative)

The Nominative is the case of the subject in a sentence or clause

It is also the case of the completion of a copula verb (like is or are)

e.g.,ποταμὸς ἐστὶ καλόςa river is beautiful.ποταμοὶ εἰσὶ καλοίrivers are beautiful.

GEN case (Genitive and Ablative)

The Genitive case is used to express a relationship between one noun and another.

In English, we use the words of or from to express this relationship.

Examples:

This hammer is made of steel.

She is from New York.

We entered the house of the Lord.

This is a house of righteousness.

They went away from the house.

In some instances this case shows ownership (house of the Lord) or description (house of righteousness). That is the basic idea of the Genitive case.

In other instances, this case shows separation or origin (Ablative sense) and can be translated into English by using the prepositional ideas in the following words: off, out, out of, from, away, away from.

Thus the GEN case is sometimes referred to as the of or from case.

In other words, this is an indirect object form of the prepositions of or from.

These preposition ideas are contained within the ending of the Greek word. There is no separate Greek word as English does.

Examples:

ὁ ἄνθρωπος βαίνει ποταμοῦthe man comes from a river.

ὁ ἄνθρωπος βαίνει ποταμῶνthe man comes from rivers.

DAT case (Locative, Instrumental, and Dative)

The Dative is also used to express a relationship between one noun and another.

The locative sense indicates the place of the relationship

I sang in the church.

The book fell by the fountain.

The boy ran among the crowd.

The elephant sat on my hat.

It is the indirect object case of the following understood prepositions: in, on, by, among, at.

The instrumental sense shows the means or indirect agency used to do something. (I swatted the fly with a newspaper. You are saved by faith.)

It is the indirect object case of the following understood prepositions: with, by.

The dative sense expresses some personal interest (This book is for Bill. Give this ruler to Tom.)

It is the indirect object case of the following understood prepositions: to, for.

While the GEN case is the of/from case, the DAT case is all the rest of the prepositions.

ποταμῷ may mean:in a river,by a river,on a river,with a river,for a river,to a river.

ACC case (Accusative)

The Accusative is the direct object case.

The subject is doing action to the direct object.

In the sentence, I hit Bill, I is the subject and Bill is the direct object. Then Bill hit me. Now I am being hit by Bill, so we change the pronoun to me to indicate that I am now the object of the hitting.